Cattle-guard.



S. W. BURCHARD. CATTLE GUARD. APPLICATION FILED mam/19,4914.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

SAMUEL W. BURGHARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CATTLE-straw).

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed May 19, 1914. Serial No. 839,650.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WV. Boron- ARD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following. is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to "improvements in cattle guards, of that class known as surface guards, in which a plurality of bars are dis posed longitudinally of the rails to present an uninviting surface for animals to walk over.

The primary object of my improvements is to construct a surface guard of a number of bars whose sectional characteristics present tread faces hearing such angular relationships with each other as to cause lateral deflections of feet or hoofs without presenting pockets or traps in which the feet or hoofs may be caught and held, particular regard being had to produce a surface over which animals may pass, if sufliciently urged.

A further object of my improvements is to combine with the faces having the angular relationship referred to, teeth, barbs or the like which will in no sense preclude the passing of animals over the guard, but will if engaged at the time of the animals first step on the guard cause the animal to turn back and not attempt further passing over the guard.

I attain these objects by the guard fully set forth in the following specification, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the'accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows in elevation a guard embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 shows in end elevation my improved guard;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of a portion of one of the bars; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional elevation of a complete bar.

Referring by numerals to'the accompanying drawings:

5 designates the rails and 6 the ties or sleepers of an ordinary trackway- 7 designates the bars of my improved guard, each of which has at intervals throughout its length the vertical openings 8 arranged to receive drift-pins 9 which w1ll hold the bars against longitudinal or lateral shifting or displacement, yet which will readily permit of the bars being removed from the trackway for purposes of repair thereto.

Each of the bars 7 comprises a plane, horizontal base surface 10; a plane, vertical side face 11, which is at right angles to the base 10; a plane, upper, inclined face 12, extending between the side face 11 to a point beyond the median line. of the bar; a relatively short, inclined upper face 13 leading downwardly from the upper end of the face 12 at-an oblique angle relative to the face 12; and a plane, side face 1 1 extending from the base 10 to the lower end of'the shortest upper inclined face 13, which last mentioned side face bears an oblique angular relation ship to both the base surface and the short inclined upper face.

Each end of each bar is beveled, as shown, in order that loose-hanging parts on rolling stock will not catch the bars in passing thereover.

In arranging the bars with relation to each other, care should be taken to space them sothat the apexe s' are separated distances greater than the average widths of horses and cattles hoofs, and so that there will be ventilating space between adjacent side faces of the bars.

By reason of the upper face of one bar having an angle differing from the angle of the upper face of an adjacent bar, a hoof placed on both faces will be deflected by the face having the greatest angle.

In this particular I distinguish from the guards constructed of bars whose faces are all of like angle and over which bars hoofed animals will pass with comparatively secure footing by treading in the troughs, with their hoofs resting on each side of the troughs.

In the preferred construction of my improved bar Iemploy a metallic shell such as 15, which I fill with reinforced concrete or the like, as shown at 16 in Fig. 4, wherein the shells offer faces over which the hoofs will slip with a minimum of resistance, and hence present a face upon which a hoofed animal will tread with great caution, while the reinforced body of concrete lends rigidity to the shell.

In order to inflict slight injury or punishment to animals which persist in passing over the guard whereby to deter them from making subsequent passages, I arrange the longitudinal rows of barbs or teeth 17,18 and 19, which as shown in Fig. 4:, are placed at suehpoints on the bars as to cooperate most advantageouslywith the various tread faces of the bars.

The barbs 17 are arranged to prick or scratchvthe ankles or legs of animals which have trod uponthe faces 12, especially on the bars lying to the right of the rails and 7 a the left hand side bar outside of the track.

The barbs 18 are arranged to prick or scratch the angles of hoofs deflected from the faces 13 andlthe barbs 19 arranged to prick or scratch the ankles of hoofs deflected from the faces 12.

Having thus described my invention, what o I claim as new therein and'desire to secure Gopies of this patent may be obtained for mation, having a plane horizontal bottom surface, an inclined plane upper surface leading from the bottom surface and ter1ninating at a point to one side of the transverse median line of the body, a second plane upper surface leading from said point in a direction opposed to and at an angle different from the first mentioned upper surface and terminating at a point overhanging the bottom surface and a plane surface inclining from said overhanging point to the bottom surface. s

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL V. BUR-CHARD.

' Witnesses:

E. L. VALLACE,

EDWARD E. LONGAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

